It’s a fantastic bike with so much power that you barely have to nudge the throttle to feel the back end squirming about.

It’s not a superbike, more of a ­supertourer.

Like several European car makers (Audi, BMW and Merc) that voluntarily restrict their cars to a top speed of 155mph, the Japanese bike manufacturers limit the top speed of their machines.

Supertourer: Richard Hammond loves the new ZZR1400 already

But since that limit is 186mph, it’s pretty meaningless.

Quite how fast the ZZR1400 would go if uncorked I don’t know – not least because I obviously haven’t ridden it flat out because there isn’t a race track or piece of runway long enough in the UK to do so – but the four-cylinder motor kicks out a massive 207bhp, so 200mph is probably possible.

Until recently, I owned a Suzuki ­Hayabusa, to which I fitted a top box and panniers. It looked a bit odd but made it a brilliant bike for a quick commute between Gloucestershire and London – so I’ll do the same with the Kwacker.

The handling is really good, the seat is comfortable and you can get almost 200 miles from a tankful of petrol. The big difference between the two bikes is that the ZZR1400 is fitted with a very s­ophisticated traction control system that has two sport settings and a safety setting.

Full throttle: You just need a nudge to feel the roar

Call me a wimp if you like but when you’re riding in the rain, your hands are cold, you’re looking out for people in cars doing something stupid and you have more power in your right hand than Ford’s Sierra Cosworth had, a bit of electronic help is a pretty welcome thing.

The ZZR1400 isn’t the best-looking bike in the world and it’ll be even less pretty when I’ve stuck the luggage on it, but that’s not the end of the world because I’ve got some bikes in my ever-increasing collection that do look amazing.

I bought the Kawasaki to do a job and it does it brilliantly.

I might buy a set of Akrapovic exhausts for the bike because it’s a bit quiet in town and I worry about pedestrians ­stepping into the road.

Overhead view: It costs a lot of cash

Photos credit to > Kawasaki

Mind you, the pipes cost £1,800, which is a bit painful when you’ve just spent £11,499 on the bike itself.

It’s lots of money, but then the Bugatti Veyron, which is the fastest car in the world, costs rather more than that.

No Glastonbury this year, but there are lots of other festivals to keep you rocking and rolling all summer

Headbangers unite - rock out to Metallica, The Prodigy and Black Sabbath at Download

Download (June 8-10)

Metallica roar into Download

More than 80,000 metalheads will descend on Donington Park in Leicestershire to mark ­Download Festival’s 10th anniversary. The highlight of the weekend will be Metallica, playing their iconic Black album in its entirety on the Saturday night. The boys from Black Sabbath have kissed and made up with Ozzy and they take to the main stage on Sunday night. Dance act The Prodigy headline the Friday night. Other bands to rock out to include Machinehead, Slash, Soundgarden and Megadeth

The shores of Loch Ness provide the perfect setting for Ed Sheeran, ­Mumford & Sons and Noah & the Whale. Sassenachs who want to join the party should book the RockNess Express. Leaving from Euston on June 7 ­(back on the 11th) it arrives in ­Inverness (via Birmingham, Derby, York and Newcastle). The train will have music, food and drink for £225 including a VIP ticket to Rock Ness.

No sponsorship, no branding, no VIP ­areas. It’s all about the music at this Kent festival, something that Bob Dylan ­appreciates… this year he’ll be making his only UK festival appearance here. Also appearing are Bruce Forsyth and his big band, Joan Armatrading, Peter Gabriel, Patti Smith, The Stranglers and Billy Ocean. Free entry for kids under 12.

Nightswimming: Hong Kong by night, as seen from the pool at the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong

How about some of these spas for a relaxing break?

Not much good if you have vertigo – admittedly, but once the nausea subsides, you can chill by the pool in your robe, or get a massage as you watch the world go by beneath you.

The Top 10 spas with a spectacular views have been compiled by German building information specialists, Emporis, with the Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA in Hong Kong (above) topping the list.

Located inside the 465-meter tall International Commerce Centre, the spa is part of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong and includes an indoor swimming pool with panoramic views over Victoria Harbour from 116 floors above the ground.

The Top 10 were chosen from over 400 spas in cities around the world, and were rated on factors such as the spa’s height, view, location, architectural features and interior design.

According to Emporis, the last decade has seen an increasing number of luxury hotel spas opening at spectacular heights, as they try to offer visitors a “contemporary and holistic oasis” in busy city centres.

Asian megacities dominate the Top 10 as their dramatic skylines and bustling business centres provide a steady stream of weary working travellers looking to relax with the backdrop of a breathtaking view.

Coming in second place on the list was the the Banyan Tree Spa in Singapore, set atop the 207-meter Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore. It attracts visitors with its stunning infinity pool that overlooks Singapore’s skyscrapers.

In third place, Spa at the Mandarin Oriental is located on the 37th and 38th floors of the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, with dizzying views of Tokyo’s financial district.

3rd: Spa at Mandarin Oriental in the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, Tokyo

“The latest trend in the tourism industry allows travellers to unwind and to enjoy an incredible view of the city; relaxation and sightseeing are perfectly combined,” commented Matthew Keutenius, architecture expert at Emporis.

Nigel Thompson joins a demo flight aboard the Boeing’s revolutionary aircraft, which can fly 9,400 miles in one go

Thomson and First Choice will be the first UK airlines to take delivery of the Dreamliner in May 2013

Manchester United’s iconic Old Trafford football stadium is called the Theatre of Dreams.

So it seemed highly appropriate that I got a glimpse of the Red Devils’ home from a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on a 500ft wing-waggling flypast at the city’s airport this week.

This revolutionary new “greener”, “jet lag-busting” passenger plane is seen as the greatest advance in aviation since Concorde and this week was on the UK leg of a world tour, which took in Heathrow, Manchester and Gatwick airports.

I joined the Boeing crew and a team from Thomson Airways – which will be the first in Britain to take delivery of a 787 – at Manchester for a plane tour and two-hour test flight.

It’s a very fine looking jet with elegant, sweeping lines and distinctive flexible wings which rise up to 10ft at the tips on take-off, though it’s perhaps not as awesome close up as the mighty Airbus A380 double decker superjumbo.

But it’s inside that’s going to impress Thomson and First Choice passengers from May 2013 – swiftly followed by fliers travelling with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Holidaymakers heading from Manchester, Gatwick, East Midlands and Glasgow to Cancun, Mexico, and Sanford, Florida, on Thomson Airways will have the first opportunity to fly on the new jets.

It will offer travellers noticeable improvements, including:

● Moister air for less chance of dehydration and headaches;
● Cleaner air that’s had irritants such as perfume and alcohol removed;
● Lower cabin pressure, which is less tiring;
● Bigger windows and dynamic LED lighting;
● Wider aisles and higher ceilings; and
● A smoother, quieter journey.

While you can hardly avoid your body being say five times zones adrift from UK time if you’re in Florida, these are all factors which should combine to help to alleviate the effects of jetlag when you get off the plane.

The Dreamliner is made largely of carbon/polymer resin and consequently is lighter than similar sized aircraft and uses 20% less fuel, hence its “green” tag.

It also offers a tremendous range, up to 9,400 miles, which brings the realistic and tantalising prospect of direct flights to destinations such as Bali, Hawaii and even Perth.

You read that right – Australia in one go. Amazing.

Stretch out: Legroom will be 33-34" in Thomson economy, more than on MOST leisure flights

Hi-tech: You can plug in your smartphone aboard the Dreamliner

Nigel in the cockpit: Luckily the Dreamliner was still stationary in Manchester Airport

When the lifts shut down in America’s mountain towns, out come the flip-flops, microbrews, and inner tubes. For a real recharge this summer, spend some time at our favorite high-altitude hotels, restaurants, and outfitters.by Robert Earle Howells

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

StayHotel Bristol
With its downtown setting and Old West flavor, the Hotel Bristol is like walking into a Zane Grey novel.

EatSweetwater Grill
The owners of the Sweetwater Grill used lottery winnings to create their dream restaurant on the banks of the Yampa River. Fresh local fare with ethnic flourishes.

OutfitterSteamboat Flyfisher
When a world-class river flows through town, you’ve got to toss it a fly. A half-day float trip will set you back $325.

For details on MJ-endorsed hotels, restaurants, and outfitters in Truckee, California, click here.